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Every year, it seems that more and more groups request funding through the Crawford County Commission. Unfortunately, with roughly the same amount of funds every year and more groups, it often means everyone gets either a little less than expected or not what they requested.
At Friday’s commission meeting, more than $200,000 was distributed from funds generated through taxes and the local portion of the liquor sales tax.
“We’re seeing some of this trickle down,” said commissioner Linda Grilz. “We’re getting less money from the state, but the demands from cities, counties and organizations keep growing. Parks and Recreation programs, for instance, are often aimed at kids. This is money well spend. The problem is the demand is just growing. It’s a fact of life.”
Just looking at the Parks and Recreation Fund distributions, the amount distributed to each group has dropped more than $150 each year since 2009. This year, just $297 will be distributed to each of 32 organizations. That includes one new group, the City of Girard, for a total of $9,504.
For comparison’s sake, in 2008, less than 30 organizations received $470.33 each. Those funds come out of a portion of the local liquor tax.
The other portion of the local liquor tax goes to the Special Alcohol Fund. This year, like last year, $23,500 was in the budget. Commissioners elected to keep distributions even with last year, with Crawford County Mental Health getting $18,303 and the SEK Crisis Resource Center receiving $5,197.
The largest distribution was in the Elderly Fund, in which $147,101 was distributed. That is about $4,200 more than 2011.
While many distributions in that section did not change, there were a few areas in which there were notable swings. For instance, SEK-CAP transportation jumped from a $5,000 distribution to a $14,901 distribution, and the Franklin Senior Citizens group saw its funding drop $3,000 to $5,400.
“People put in their request, and we have them tell a reason why they need that amount. The form has been very helpful,” Grilz said. “The justification for the request is what we really rely on, because it’s the only information we have. SEK-CAP transportation went up so much because we haven’t been paying our fair share for a long time. Something like 80 percent of the riders are from Crawford County. It’s unfair for other counties to pick up on our tab. We’re getting a little closer to funding our respective part.”
The final fund was the Historical Fund. Two new groups, the Girard Public Library and the McCune Osage Township Library each received $290, whilch largely made up the difference between this year’s and last year’s budget. In total, 10 groups received close to $24,400 in historical funding.
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.
Every year, it seems that more and more groups request funding through the Crawford County Commission. Unfortunately, with roughly the same amount of funds every year and more groups, it often means everyone gets either a little less than expected or not what they requested.
At Friday’s commission meeting, more than $200,000 was distributed from funds generated through taxes and the local portion of the liquor sales tax.
“We’re seeing some of this trickle down,” said commissioner Linda Grilz. “We’re getting less money from the state, but the demands from cities, counties and organizations keep growing. Parks and Recreation programs, for instance, are often aimed at kids. This is money well spend. The problem is the demand is just growing. It’s a fact of life.”
Just looking at the Parks and Recreation Fund distributions, the amount distributed to each group has dropped more than $150 each year since 2009. This year, just $297 will be distributed to each of 32 organizations. That includes one new group, the City of Girard, for a total of $9,504.
For comparison’s sake, in 2008, less than 30 organizations received $470.33 each. Those funds come out of a portion of the local liquor tax.
The other portion of the local liquor tax goes to the Special Alcohol Fund. This year, like last year, $23,500 was in the budget. Commissioners elected to keep distributions even with last year, with Crawford County Mental Health getting $18,303 and the SEK Crisis Resource Center receiving $5,197.
The largest distribution was in the Elderly Fund, in which $147,101 was distributed. That is about $4,200 more than 2011.
While many distributions in that section did not change, there were a few areas in which there were notable swings. For instance, SEK-CAP transportation jumped from a $5,000 distribution to a $14,901 distribution, and the Franklin Senior Citizens group saw its funding drop $3,000 to $5,400.
“People put in their request, and we have them tell a reason why they need that amount. The form has been very helpful,” Grilz said. “The justification for the request is what we really rely on, because it’s the only information we have. SEK-CAP transportation went up so much because we haven’t been paying our fair share for a long time. Something like 80 percent of the riders are from Crawford County. It’s unfair for other counties to pick up on our tab. We’re getting a little closer to funding our respective part.”
The final fund was the Historical Fund. Two new groups, the Girard Public Library and the McCune Osage Township Library each received $290, whilch largely made up the difference between this year’s and last year’s budget. In total, 10 groups received close to $24,400 in historical funding.
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.
